This invention relates to a hydrocarbon fueled, hydrogen fuel generator system and apparatus for fuel cells. The primary application for this invention is generating hydrogen fuel for use in fuel cells that convert chemical energy into electricity. The hydrogen fuel generator is fueled by hydrocarbons such as propane, butane, methanol, ethanol, pentane, kerosene, and gasoline. The invention provides a polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cell anode hydrogen fuel stream that is free of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and sulfur. The invention provides an alkaline-electrolyte fuel cell anode hydrogen fuel that is free of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur, and/or nitrogen. In addition, alkaline-electrolyte oxidizer (air) for the fuel cell cathode is free of carbon dioxide.
A hydrogen generating apparatus and a fuel cell is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,886, issued to Ralph C. Struthers on Jul. 4, 1995, and entitled, xe2x80x9cHYDROCARBON (HYDROGEN)/AIR AEROGEL CATALYZED CARBON ELECTRODE FUEL CELL SYSTEMxe2x80x9d. This invention relates to a hydrogen fuel generator that produces carbon monoxide and nitrogen concentrations in the hydrogen fuel. This type of hydrogen generating system is undesirable for polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cells because of carbon monoxide poisoning.
A hydrogen generating apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,346, issued to Shabbir Ahmed et al., on Aug. 24, 1999, and entitled, xe2x80x9cMETHANOL PARTIAL OXIDATION REFORMERxe2x80x9d. This invention relates to a hydrogen fuel generator that produces carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen concentrations in the hydrogen fuel. This type of hydrogen generating system is undesirable for polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cells because of carbon monoxide poisoning and alkaline-electrolyte fuel cells because of carbon dioxide poisoning.
A hydrogen generating apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,425 issued to Clawson et al., on Jul. 4, 2000, and entitled, xe2x80x9cMETHOD FOR CONVERTING HYDROCARBON FUEL INTO HYDROGEN GAS AND CARBON DIOXIDExe2x80x9d. This invention relates to a hydrogen fuel generator that produces carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen concentrations in the hydrogen fuel. This type of hydrogen generating system is undesirable for polymer-electrolyte membrane fuel cells because of carbon monoxide poisoning and alkaline-electrolyte fuel cells because of carbon dioxide poisoning.
The present invention is directed the provision of fuel cell powered electric vehicles that are efficient, reduce noise and emissions and unburdened of the problems associated with the use of short range batteries that need to be charged; and, current gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles that need a gasoline combustion engine. Such vehicles will gain about three times the fuel mileage of comparable vehicles with internal combustion engines. The hydrogen fuel generator of this invention is fueled by hydrocarbons such as propane, butane, methanol, ethanol, pentane, kerosene, and gasoline. Accordingly, the existing petroleum fuel infrastructure for producing and distributing fuels is practical and economical for fueling such vehicles.
The advantages of the invention over the prior art are noted below:
1. The present invention provides hydrogen fuel for polymer-electrolyte membrane and alkaline-electrolyte fuel cells that constitute mature forms of the fuel cell technology.
2. The present invention provides an oxidizer (air) stream free of carbon dioxide for alkaline-electrolyte fuel cell cathodes.
3. Fluid-metering pump means move fluids of different physical characteristics in different quantities.
4. An ignition system means and electronic processor control means detonates the hydrocarbon fuel yielding a hot pressurized output gas in a pressure chamber.
5. Hydrocarbon fuel is partially oxidized in a partial oxidizer means yielding a hot pressurized fuel stream of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
6. Hydrocarbon fuel is completely oxidized in an oxidizer means yielding a hot pressurized fuel stream of steam and carbon dioxide.
7. A steam generating means that generates hot pressurized steam;
8. Heat exchanger means cools the hot pressurized fuel gas stream to a preferred reaction temperature as required for sulfur absorbing, steam reforming and carbon monoxide scavenging.
9. A sulfur absorbing means removes all elemental sulfur compounds in the pressurized fuel stream of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.
10. Steam reformer means reforms carbon monoxide in the fuel stream yielding a pressurized gas stream of hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
11. A carbon monoxide scavenger means converts remaining carbon monoxide to a pressurized gas stream of carbon dioxide.
12. Heat exchanger means cools carbon dioxide gas within carbon dioxide liquid limits.
13. A hydrogen and carbon dioxide separation means separates pressurized hydrogen fuel from pressurized liquid-carbon dioxide.
14. Pressurized steam pumping means pumps atmospheric air into a high-pressure air tank.
15. Carbon dioxide separating means removing carbon dioxide from the air by pressurizing and cooling within carbon dioxide liquid limits.
16. Carbon dioxide and moisture separating means removing carbon dioxide from the air by adsorbent column beds.
It is an object of this invention to provide a sulfur removal means using various porous metal oxide aerogel microspheres of cerium, zinc, strontium, magnesium, copper, lanthanum, barium, iron, yttrium, chromium, cobalt, vanadium, zirconium, and/or suitable precious metals.
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved steam reformer means using a catalyst made from various porous metal aerogel microspheres of nickel, copper, zinc, iron, cobalt, zirconium, chromium, rare earth metals, and/or suitable precious metals.
Yet, another object of this invention is to provide a carbon monoxide scavenger means utilizing various porous metal oxide aerogel microspheres of nickel, manganese, tin, copper, silver, iron, zinc and/or chromium.
Still, another object of this invention is to provide a novel, improved heat exchanger means or system that both heats and cools system components, as required.
Another object of this invention is to provide a propellant of pressurized carbon dioxide liquid for energizing fluid-metering pump means.
Another object of this invention is to provide propellant of pressurized steam for energizing fluid-metering pump means.
It is another object of this invention is to provide a supply of carbon dioxide liquid coolant and a heat exchanger means suitable for secondary use, such as cooling the interior cabin of a related electric vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide a hot steam and a heat exchanger means suitable for secondary use, such as heating of the interior cabin of the electric vehicle.
Another object of this invention is to provide electric powered vehicle or the like with our new hydrogen generator system and apparatus as the supply power means that converts hydrocarbon fuel energy to electric energy; an operating strategy for a fuel cell electric powered vehicle that manages the flow of energy to maximize fuel economy; an inverter that converts the direct current output from the fuel cells, and energy stored in a battery pack to a three-phase alternating current. A motor/generator receives the alternating current and produces a rotating driving force that is transmitted through a continuously variable or automatic transmission to vehicular wheels. A controller is connected to the motor/generator, accelerator pedal and brake pedal. When the vehicle is coasting or the brakes are applied, the wheels drive the motor/generator, converting the vehicle""s kinetic energy to electricity that charges the battery pack.
Finally, it is object of this invention is to recycle atmospheric carbon dioxide to methanol fuel. The earth""s ozone layer is being depleted and it could be reversed if recycled carbon dioxide methanol fuel was used to operate automobiles and/or the like. The reduction of carbon dioxide to methanol is represented by the chemical equation of
CO2+6H++6exe2x88x92=CH3OH+H2O.
The above objects and features of this invention will be understood from the following detailed description of the invention, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings.